People (I think about a total of 10 KNOWN) just simply disappeared while hiking, walking or camping in that area. Not some fool like me that uses trendy coffee shops as landmarks, but people that knew the area well. Well, except a child.

Well being a Vermonter I have read up on and have visited the Bennington Triangle, i find the location breathtaking as well as treacherous. I have hiked to the "ghost town" of Fayville a few times.

It is claimed that the Native Americans avoided the area they believed the land to be cursed, because all four winds met there. They also told of a stone that would swallow anything that stepped on it, never to be seen from again.

There have been 6(5) confirmed cases of people vanishing, but more disappearances are attributed to the now semi-famous location. The six are: 13 year old Melvin Hills October 11, 1942 (also said to have been a hoax, that he was never missing)74 year old Middie Rivers November 12, 1945 18 year old Paula Jean Welden December 1, 1946 68 year old James Tedford December 1, 1949 8 year old Paul Jepson October 12, 1950 53 year old Frieda Langer October 28, 1950

Melvin Hills was said to have vanished in the Bennington area around October 11, 1942. The reports vary so much it is hard to tell if he was ever lost, found or even existed. According to a Wikipedia article he was found in Massachusetts two weeks later riding his bike, so did he jump on a his bike and ride from his Bennington home to Massachusetts?

Middie Rivers lived in the area his whole life, he was in fact a hunting and fishing guide to the area. It was during such a guiding expedition on November 12, 1945 that he vanished. During the hunting trip the group of five men (Middie and four hunters) were headed back to camp when Middie broke off and got a little ahead of the group, Middie was never seen again. The investigators looked for a solid month, the only evidence that found was one unfired bullet from Middies bullet belt.

Paula Jean Welden was an 18 year old Bennington College student from Stamford, Connecticut. She reportedly had great knowledge of the long trail and was an armature botanist. She had worked her job at the Commons at Bennington College returned to her room, changed her clothes and told her roommate she was going for a hike. She had been picked up by a man, Louis Knapp, and given a ride as far as his home on Rt 9, 3 miles from the Lon Trail. She was last seen around Bickford Hollow asking a group of people for directions, she was wearing a red parka. For great detail on the case visit http://www.geocities...cac/welden.html

James Tedford is a very interesting case. On December 1, 1949 (yes the anniversary of Paula's disappearance) James was visiting family in St Albans, he boarded a Bennington-bound bus> the other passengers reported him sleeping on the bus, but when the bus stopped in Bennington he was nowhere to be found, all of his belongings where still on the bus and no one reported seeing him exit the bus.

Paul Jepson was with his mother on October 12, 1950. She was attending to some Pigs, that her and her husband were caretakers for, for less then an hour. When she returned to her truck her son was gone. Pauls father says that Paul always had a strange yearning to go into the mountains. Bloodhounds where used to search for the boy they picked up his trail and followed it until it reached a highway then the trail stopped.

Frieda Langer was hiking with her cousin Herbert Elsner on October 28, 1950. She had fallen into a stream and told her cousin she was going to run the half mile back to camp to change. Elsner waited for awhile and when Frieda did not return he headed back. Upon arrival at the camp Elsner asked Friedas husband Frideas whereabouts, her husband said she never came back to camp. They both found it hard to believe she could get lost being the middle of the day. Search teams scoured the area on foot, by plane, and helicopter finding nothing. Another search on November 5 and 7 turned up nothing at all. And on November 11 and 12, 300 military, police, firemen, sportsmen, and volunteers also came up empty-handed. The final search on May 12, 1951 found her body, in a previously searched location. They were unable to determine the cause of death. Witness claim her body was in perfect condition, like she had just dropped dead before they got there.

A couple of other interesting facts about the Bennington Triangle, author Joe Citro was the one to coin the term "Bennington Triangle". H.P. Lovecraft also sensed something evil about the otherwise beautiful location "The dense, unvisited woods on those inaccessible slopes seemed to harbor alien and incredible things, and I felt that the very outline of the hills themselves held some strange and aeon-forgotten meaning as if they were vast hieroglyphs left by a rumored . . . race whose glories live only in rare, deep dreams."

While I love the mystery that surrounds the Bennington Triangle. The dates of the missing persons are awfully close together and look too coincidental to me. My first inclination would be a serial killer/abductor rather than anything paranormal.

But again, that is why they call these mysteries. Thanks for the info Vamp!

"So even if you can't see it, you can still believe in it.It's easier if you lose all the things that prevent you from seeing it."-The Resistance by the Sam Roberts Band

Interests:Trying to recall what I did wrong back in 2009 and why folks just can't get over it...

Posted 01 August 2009 - 12:14 PM

What kind of disappearances are we talking about here?

Well being a Vermonter I have read up on and have visited the Bennington Triangle, i find the location breathtaking as well as treacherous. I have hiked to the "ghost town" of Fayville a few times.

It is claimed that the Native Americans avoided the area they believed the land to be cursed, because all four winds met there. They also told of a stone that would swallow anything that stepped on it, never to be seen from again.

There have been 6(5) confirmed cases of people vanishing, but more disappearances are attributed to the now semi-famous location. The six are: 13 year old Melvin Hills October 11, 1942 (also said to have been a hoax, that he was never missing)74 year old Middie Rivers November 12, 1945 18 year old Paula Jean Welden December 1, 1946 68 year old James Tedford December 1, 1949 8 year old Paul Jepson October 12, 1950 53 year old Frieda Langer October 28, 1950

Melvin Hills was said to have vanished in the Bennington area around October 11, 1942. The reports vary so much it is hard to tell if he was ever lost, found or even existed. According to a Wikipedia article he was found in Massachusetts two weeks later riding his bike, so did he jump on a his bike and ride from his Bennington home to Massachusetts?

Middie Rivers lived in the area his whole life, he was in fact a hunting and fishing guide to the area. It was during such a guiding expedition on November 12, 1945 that he vanished. During the hunting trip the group of five men (Middie and four hunters) were headed back to camp when Middie broke off and got a little ahead of the group, Middie was never seen again. The investigators looked for a solid month, the only evidence that found was one unfired bullet from Middies bullet belt.

Paula Jean Welden was an 18 year old Bennington College student from Stamford, Connecticut. She reportedly had great knowledge of the long trail and was an armature botanist. She had worked her job at the Commons at Bennington College returned to her room, changed her clothes and told her roommate she was going for a hike. She had been picked up by a man, Louis Knapp, and given a ride as far as his home on Rt 9, 3 miles from the Lon Trail. She was last seen around Bickford Hollow asking a group of people for directions, she was wearing a red parka. For great detail on the case visit http://www.geocities...cac/welden.html

James Tedford is a very interesting case. On December 1, 1949 (yes the anniversary of Paula's disappearance) James was visiting family in St Albans, he boarded a Bennington-bound bus> the other passengers reported him sleeping on the bus, but when the bus stopped in Bennington he was nowhere to be found, all of his belongings where still on the bus and no one reported seeing him exit the bus.

Paul Jepson was with his mother on October 12, 1950. She was attending to some Pigs, that her and her husband were caretakers for, for less then an hour. When she returned to her truck her son was gone. Pauls father says that Paul always had a strange yearning to go into the mountains. Bloodhounds where used to search for the boy they picked up his trail and followed it until it reached a highway then the trail stopped.

Frieda Langer was hiking with her cousin Herbert Elsner on October 28, 1950. She had fallen into a stream and told her cousin she was going to run the half mile back to camp to change. Elsner waited for awhile and when Frieda did not return he headed back. Upon arrival at the camp Elsner asked Friedas husband Frideas whereabouts, her husband said she never came back to camp. They both found it hard to believe she could get lost being the middle of the day. Search teams scoured the area on foot, by plane, and helicopter finding nothing. Another search on November 5 and 7 turned up nothing at all. And on November 11 and 12, 300 military, police, firemen, sportsmen, and volunteers also came up empty-handed. The final search on May 12, 1951 found her body, in a previously searched location. They were unable to determine the cause of death. Witness claim her body was in perfect condition, like she had just dropped dead before they got there.

A couple of other interesting facts about the Bennington Triangle, author Joe Citro was the one to coin the term "Bennington Triangle". H.P. Lovecraft also sensed something evil about the otherwise beautiful location "The dense, unvisited woods on those inaccessible slopes seemed to harbor alien and incredible things, and I felt that the very outline of the hills themselves held some strange and aeon-forgotten meaning as if they were vast hieroglyphs left by a rumored . . . race whose glories live only in rare, deep dreams."

Very interesting. I am always interested in areas that have some "odd" aspects associated with them. Thanks for taking the time to share all this info. with us.

Nice to be back. Wonder who I made "ill" with me back in 2009...at 67 am lucky to recall what I had for dinner 2 days ago. Guess some folks will have to explain it to me as I have no clue.

While I love the mystery that surrounds the Bennington Triangle. The dates of the missing persons are awfully close together and look too coincidental to me. My first inclination would be a serial killer/abductor rather than anything paranormal.

But again, that is why they call these mysteries. Thanks for the info Vamp!

I was actually just thinking about the same thing, with the exception of the man who dissappeared on the bus. It sounds as if the area is rural enough for a skilled killer to hide a some bodies with out ever being found. It could even be the work of some rogue bear or mountain lion.Whichever the case, it certainly doesnt seem to be a bunch of simple cases of getting lost.

Just wondering if anyone has used any EMF meters of done any EVP sessions in Fayville? I went up there a few months ago with that very intention, but the weather had other ideas. Rain began to fall as soon as I parked the car.

Just wondering if anyone has used any EMF meters of done any EVP sessions in Fayville? I went up there a few months ago with that very intention, but the weather had other ideas. Rain began to fall as soon as I parked the car.

That area is very famous for not making up its mind with weather, going up in clear blue skies only to be forced to leave due to sudden rain, snow, etc.